In Mysore, India, the center of this tradition, during the first 3 days after arrival at the shala, only the first series is practiced. Or on the day before leaving, in the final practice, everyone practices “one.” You arrived after a long journey or you are about to leave, you got sick or stayed away for some reason, you begin with “one.”

All series begin with the sun salutations and standing postures, continue with seated postures, and end with finishing postures. You can shorten them by removing some postures from each section or by modifying them. But, for example, the entire finishing section is not removed.

It is not only asana. Together with asana, drishti, bandha (breath), and vinyasa work together to form the “Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga” system.

Not a rule, but the shared experience of the tradition.

Over the years, through experience, you can see what you want to preserve and adopt, and what you feel the need to loosen or change.

There are central postures in each series. In other words, without a certain amount of progress in a posture, one does not move on to the others. For the first series, for example, Marichi D, Supta Kurmasana, and Garbha Pindasana are central postures.

While Sharathji may be stricter with newcomers about these rules, over time this attitude changes in an ironic way.

The secret itself is not inside the asanas, but in being able to sustain this practice. Otherwise, I have not seen anyone become a wonderful person just because they held their heel.

I do not like glorifying anything. Even if I get very carried away at times, I never, ever want to become a fanatic of a practice, an idea, or a person.

Whatever it is we are trying to arrive at, to me it is not a promise that belongs only to Ashtanga. Despite all the contradictions, there is a secret in the very act of doing something with love and devotion. At least, that is how it feels to me:))

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Drishti is one of the important elements of the concept of Tristhana, which forms the main framework of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice.

In short, Tristhana refers to the three main points of focus that we use together in asana practice. During practice, we apply these three dimensions simultaneously:

1. Asana (body / physical structure)
2. Breath & bandha (nervous system)
3. Drishti (mental focus)

The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga system is formed by the union of these three elements with vinyasa.

The 9 different drishti points referenced in Sharath Jois’s Astanga Yoga Anusthana book:

• Ūrdhve drṣṭi → gaze upward / into space
• Brūmadhye drṣṭi → third eye (between the eyebrows)
• Nāsāgre drṣṭi → tip of the nose
• Pārśvayoh drṣṭi → right side
• Pārśvayoh drṣṭi → left side
• Nābhau drṣṭi → navel
• Hastāgre drṣṭi → tip of the middle finger
• Aṅguṣṭhāgre drṣṭi → tip of the thumb
• Pādāgre drṣṭi → tip of the big toe

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Beyond simply focusing the eyes on one point, drishti aims to direct attention inward. It is a tool, a technique that we use to draw the senses from the outside toward the inside.

Together with this inward-drawn attention, we first begin to perceive bodily sensations. In the simplest sense, this draws us toward the experience of the present moment, toward the experience of being.

In this way, it serves as a preparation for the first inner practices within yoga’s 8 limbs. (pranayama, pratyahara)

Together with the breath, drishti is like a bridge that turns asana practice into something more than just physical exercise.

In the early periods of practice, working with drishti can feel somewhat challenging, and the difference it creates may be only faintly noticeable. But over time, just as with breath and bandha work, its effect becomes clearer and stronger.

Speaking from my own experience;

Drishti is like a point of support within an asana, one that comes before all other distractions.

Over time, this point of support creates a more distinct sense of centeredness within the practice.

It not only makes the posture easier on a physical level, but also transforms it into a strong practice of focus and concentration.

If you are just beginning to include drishti in your practice, try to steady the gaze with a soft feeling. Rather than applying each reference rigidly, choose the point that makes you feel a little more at ease and try applying it in different asanas.

Especially in postures where you have difficulty regulating the nervous system, and in those that require a little more struggle, observe whether applying it creates a difference.

Leave the rest a little to time:)

After a while, it will stop being merely a technique you apply and will become a natural, spontaneous part of your practice.

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